The pursuit

With her book club. Trying to perfect the back-bend pose in yoga. And meeting weekly with longtime pal Patty Prevosti to compare notes, list resolutions, and cheerlead each other on their 2011 Happiness Challenge.

The Happiness Challenge wasn't Herbert's idea; the women signed up via a website, a companion to Gretchen Rubin's best-selling book The Happiness Project

Those aren't the only blips on the happiness meter. The subject of happiness - variously defined as flourishing, thriving, well-being, and resilience - is a hot topic in many fields, from psychology and health care to business, politics, and the arts.

The Second World Congress on Positive Psychology - the branch that studies "the science of thriving" - will meet in Philadelphia this weekend, with attendees able to choose from workshops including "The Happy Schools Program" and "Are Happy Teams Better Teams?"

This year also brought forth Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being by Sharon Salzberg. And last fall, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his government's plan to begin measuring national well-being.

Why the sudden spotlight on happiness? Why, at this fraught and fragile moment - with sea levels rising, the Arab world convulsing, and the U.S. unemployment rate sputtering along at 9 percent - should we care about what makes us feel warm and fuzzy?

"Maybe because a lot of things seem to be so bad," says Herbert, 40, of Belmar, N.J., "people have to look for some kind of meaning. Maybe the catastrophic events make people want something real."

Psychologists echo her armchair analysis. "All the economic crises and craziness are leading people to ask if money and materialism are all there is," says Christopher Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and speaker at the positive psychology conference.

Hot Topics In Psychology - News


The readers' room: What you thought of G2 this week
The readers' room: What you thought of G2 this week

But Fox News and period pains were also hot topics ✒ Just as one story this week has been utterly inescapable, there's one article we have to talk about. Attempting to understand the psychology of the looters – but not, as certain furious commenters



The pursuit

The subject of happiness - variously defined as flourishing, thriving, well-being, and resilience - is a hot topic in many fields, from psychology and health care to business, politics, and the arts. The Second World Congress on Positive Psychology



POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Thursday, July 28, 2011

And if that happens, says a Senate GOP leadership aide, "the psychology changes overnight." House Speaker John Boehner says his bill has $1.2 trillion in discretionary spending cuts over ten years. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says his bill has



Homework can be balancing act for students and parents

Across the country, discussions about homework loads and how they're weighted in students' overall grades are hot topics among parents and within school districts. The nation's second-largest school system, the Los Angeles Unified School District,



Community Calendar for Aug. 18

World Politics is a red-hot topic. Join expert Lester Mehlman as he discusses what is happening in the world at 1 pm Wednesdays, at Temple Judea Mizpah, 8610 Niles Center Road, Skokie. Bring your opinions to these lively group sessions.




HOT TOPICS INSIDER » Venture Capitalists and Reverse Psychology

At the New York Venture Summit last week a VC on one of the panels brought up an old saying that I think is worth repeating here:

“If you ask for money, you may get advice. If you ask for advice, you may get money.”

So many times entrepreneurs go into a meeting with blinders on and a very narrow focus — $$$$$. Gotta get it, gotta get it now.

In every instance there’s a 360-degree angle that others are looking at and using to evaluate your pitch or your existing business before they “buy” (and make no mistake about it, if a VC is giving you money, they are “buying” into two things…an idea and you, the founder). If you don’t take that into consideration, you could be wasting your time and blowing opportunities that may not be available again.

One of the things VCs and Angels want to see in you and your company is, who’s interested in you and following you? Have you built a critical mass or a tribe with your company? Lone Rangers are not enough. You need a string of Tontos riding with you these days. This kind of following is a validation of your company, product, of you as an entrepreneur. And by followers, I don’t mean your 20 closest friends and family. I mean outsiders who really like your idea. Now if a VC becomes one of your followers, this may ultimately be better than getting some $$$. Why? Because they will help promote you. Others will see that they are part of your following and take more notice. Money, or solutions, will follow.

Take, for instance, the story of a start-up up that needed $5k for printing their promotion materials. Their VC found them a source that ultimately gave them $25K worth of printing for free. So, if you’re looking for VC funding be open to VC coaching and advisory support, too, and forget powering through to the “ask”…

Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing .


Hot Topics In Psychology - Bookshelf

Introduction to Psychology, Gateways to Mind and Behavior

Introduction to Psychology, Gateways to Mind and Behavior

The result—success in the psychology course. A GatewayTheme and Gateway Questions organize each chapter's topics and guide the discussion, helping students ...

Psychology, a modular approach to mind and behavior

Psychology, a modular approach to mind and behavior

Hot Topics. This section features a news item or current event that is explored from a ... These articles cover a multitude of topics in psychology. ...

The complete idiot's guide to psychology

The complete idiot's guide to psychology

Covering such hot topics in psychology as the mind-body connection, drugs and new therapy treatments, new information on the role of genetics in personality ...

Life as a psychologist, career choices and insights

Life as a psychologist, career choices and insights

CHAPTER 3 Current Issues in Psychology s A DISCIPLINE WITH FAR-RANGING EFFECTS ... neighborhoods, and workplaces are just a few of today's hot topics. ...

Political psychology

Political psychology

... and simplistic application of complicated and carefully delimited theories to “hot” topics. Political psychology should Wnd a cautious middle ground. ...

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